GICHD Contamination in SE Asia

Management of ERW Residual Contamination in Europe

Experience, Policy and Practice

Relevance in the context of developing nations

Guy Rhodes, Head, Operations Division

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD Contamination in SE Asia

• Extensive – difficult to define and map • 3D nature of contamination • Impact of ERW is land-use dependant • Need to differentiate between surface/ shallow and deep bomb contamination • Consider European context ..

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD Contamination in the UK and Germany The bombardment

Lancaster releasing blockbuster bomb with incendiaries

Heinkel He-111 over the UK

The UK and Germany were both subject to sustained, intense bombing

A variety of weapons were used incl. cluster bombs, ‘blockbusters’, rockets, cruise & ballistic missiles

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The aftermath in the UK

Balham Underground Station, SW London, October 1941

40,000 civilians died during the Blitz – 9 month period in London

30,000 killed or injured during the V1 and V2 strikes

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The aftermath in the UK Bomb damage assessment maps

Around 1million buildings were destroyed in London and the UK during the Blitz;

Another 1million were destroyed during the V1 and V2 strikes

Poplar district, East London in June 1941

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD Churchill inspecting bomb damage Unearthed bombs

Bombing data from central London used in risk management models

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The bombardment

Estimate of metric tonnage of bombs dropped on individual German cities

Total estimate for tonnage of bombs dropped on Germany by the UK and US: 1,996,036

158,546 RAF and USAAF personnel were killed during the raids

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The aftermath in Germany

Over 300,000 civilians killed & 700,000 injured

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The aftermath in Germany

RAF assessments of per cent proportion of built up areas destroyed in German cities

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The situation today

Regular discoveries of deep buried in Germany unexploded bombs and other ordnance on land and in rivers and lakes

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD After the war

Annual tonnage (kg) of UXO disposed of in Berlin 1947 – 2011

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The situation today in Germany

Risk education and awareness raising

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD The situation today in the UK

UK responsibility for UXO response

Royal Navy Underwater UXO of naval origin (RN) UXO below high water mark Except in in-land lakes and rivers UXO on RN Property

Army WW2 German air delivered UXO Except UXO on RN or RAF property Unexploded land service ammunition

UXO associated with construction projects have for decades been treated commercially with mitigation approaches being the responsibility of the developer

Responsibility for all WWII UXO response is due to be fully contracted out to civilian companies in 2014

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD London 2012 Olympic Park

Locations of bomb strikes during the Blitz only

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD London 2012 Olympic Park

> Risk assessment > 70% chance of finding at least one UXB on site > No special measures for excavation and demolition to <1m > Onsite specialist supervision during deeper construction works > Limited proactive search by borehole magnetometers > One incendiary discovered Prescott Lock 1000kg UXB found close to the Olympic Park

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD Berlin & Brandenburg

> Total land area 29,500 km2

> Current SHA 3,800 km2

> Off limit area 800 km2

> Responsibility divided between Police Commissioner and City Council Development Department > Berlin State EOD Service provides free support for risk assessments and supervision > Costs of pro-active search borne by owner/developer > Cost of dealing with found UXO borne by Berlin State > Berlin State maintains list of qualified, licensed contractors

>Longer term management of residual contamination

>Policy and practices in place today relevant to other regions of the world (e.g. SE Asia)

Project has just been initiated with the completion of a scoping study of Germany and the United Kingdom (Phase 1) – now planning a considerable expansion into a Phase 2 for 2014

Phase 2: Nov 2013 to Dec 2014

>Expand Countries studies and compile data from multiple sources

d ia F inlan I taly Cam bod c e u Japan G r ee P ala alta m any Rus s ia M G er am ippines P oland Vietn P hil m o P D R Belgiu K or ea La

> Context assessment of findings, analysis, comparison, contrast

E S TI C AC P R ST B E

> Applications of T Y Risk Management I L I A B E R L N Modelling in ERW V U x E Response and UR O S X P E C E Policy Design Y x N I T UE E R E Q d E V NS a r S C O a z Y x h I T x I L Y A B I T O B I L P R A B O B te r P R a s di s

WW2 UXO Policy and Practice 2013 © GICHD Phase 2: Component Four > Aging of of explosives and mechanical components > Comparison of ordnance between WWII and Vietnam era

> Assemble, organise findings, communicate

Creation of an on-line archive of relevant documentation

>Regional workshops in South East Asia >Specific country workshops >Study tours >Translation and provision of relevant documentation

Assisted by a relevant local agents/ champions in select countries to be engaged in the project early in 2014